My Run Through ‘Line in the Sand’
Alright, so Handshake gave me this task, ‘Line in the Sand’. Sounded simple enough, you know? Go to a place, make sure our guys know it’s our place now. Standard stuff, really. Figured it’d be a quick run, in and out.
First thing, gotta gear up. Didn’t go too heavy. Grabbed my trusty M4, slapped a basic sight on it. Few extra mags, couple of bandages, maybe a grenade just in case things got spicy. Didn’t want to burn through top-tier gear for what seemed like a milk run. Threw on some basic armor, the kind that might stop a pistol round or two if I’m lucky. Better than nothing.
Checked the map, figured out the spot Handshake wanted cleared. Looked like some shacks near the edge of town. Picked the closest Landing Zone, called in the chopper. The flight in was pretty quiet, just watching the trees whiz by. Always a bit tense, you never know what’s waiting at the LZ.
Boots on the Ground
Touched down smooth, thankfully. Hopped out, gave the pilot a wave, and started hoofing it towards the objective. Stayed low, used the bushes and trees for cover. You gotta move slow out here, listen more than you look sometimes. Heard some chatter up ahead, definitely locals, sounded agitated. Not a good sign.
Got closer, peeked around a busted wall. Yep, saw maybe three or four guys milling around the main shack. Looked like they had AKs, maybe an SKS. Typical loadout for the folks ’round here. They weren’t exactly looking professional, more like bored thugs guarding… well, probably nothing important, but it was the spot Handshake wanted.
Making Contact
Decided not to wait for them to spot me. Took a knee, lined up a shot on the guy furthest out. Dropped him clean. All hell broke loose then, just like flicking a switch. Shouting, bullets snapping through the leaves near me. Pinned down for a second.
- Had to shift position fast. Scrambled behind a bigger tree.
- Tossed that grenade I brought near the shack door. Didn’t get anyone but made ’em jumpy.
- Used the confusion to flank around to the right. Found a nice little angle through a broken fence.
Picked off another one who poked his head out. The last guy, or maybe guys, went quiet. That’s always worrying. Edged up slow, clearing corners. Found one hiding inside, poor fella practically jumped out of his skin. Quick burst, job done. Cleared the rest of the shacks, empty.
The Aftermath and Getting Out
Okay, area secure. Objective technically complete. Did a quick check of the bodies. You know, gotta see if they had anything interesting. Found some ammo, a bandage, nothing major. Pocketed it anyway, waste not want not.
Then it was just the walk back to the LZ. Always feels longer on the way back, doesn’t it? Kept my head on a swivel, didn’t want any surprises. Got to the LZ, called for pickup. Chopper arrived, climbed in, and breathed a sigh of relief as we lifted off. Another day, another task ticked off. Nothing too crazy, but even simple jobs can go sideways quick if you’re not careful. Good practice, I guess.
